Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing technique for generating a file of image data read from an image reading device by an application of an information processing apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
The following kinds of software are necessary for saving image data, which has been read from an image reading device such as a scanner or a multi-function printer (MFP), in an information processing apparatus. The first kind of software is a scanner driver that controls the image reading device, and the second kind of software is an application that receives image data from the scanner driver and saves the received image data as a file. Generally, the scanner driver conforms to a specification such as TWAIN (Technology Without An Interesting Name) or WIA (Windows Image Acquisition).
In a case where the application of the information processing apparatus reads, via the scanner driver, a plurality of originals placed on an original table of the image reading device, reading of a desired number of originals is performed after a user confirms a message about the completion of the next original reading preparation. A multi-page file is generated in this manner. For example, in a case where an error such as a paper jam occurs when the image reading device is reading a plurality of originals, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-015131 discloses a technique that uses already read image data to efficiently transmit image information by notifying the user of the error and prompting the user to perform a recovery operation.
In recent years, information processing apparatus models that are designed to be conscious of power saving and energy saving have become popular. Particularly, an information processing apparatus such as a notebook PC or a smart device often shifts to a sleep state when the cover is closed or it is not used for a predetermined period of time. Therefore, if the information processing apparatus shifts to the sleep state when an application of the information processing apparatus is generating a multi-page file by reading a plurality of originals by the image reading device, an error notification related to the image reading operation is made from the scanner driver after the information processing apparatus returns from the sleep state. As a result, the application generates an image data file based on the already read originals and terminates the image reading processing after notifying the user of the occurrence of the error. This is not user-friendly as it requires the user to manually operate and perform processing to combine a plurality of pages into a single file upon performing the original reading operation again from the error page.
Additionally, although image data based on the already read originals are combined and transmitted to the information processing apparatus in the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-015131, the technique is very cumbersome as it requires the user to perform a recovery operation on the screen which notified the user of the occurrence of the error.